Coast Guard regulations, and other maritime regulations, often require that life vests be provided for each passenger in a vehicle traveling on or over water. In particular, these types of vehicles can include recreational and commercial boats, ships, amphibious vehicles, and hovercrafts. The storage of a sufficient number of life vests in an accessible position to the passengers has long been a worrisome problem. In particular, the life vests must be stored so that they can be easily accessed and implemented by a passenger in an emergency situation.
A major problem of storing life vests is found in the commercial and recreational boats and amphibious vehicle touring service. In particular, for example, amphibious vehicles are oftentimes used to provide combination land and water tours. Tourists have found such tours to be extremely pleasing, and the use of such vehicles has become increasingly popular. These tours offer a passenger the ability to see both landlocked sites and sites located adjacent to or near water. Additionally, the tours offer the excitement of driving or "splashing" a wheeled vehicle into water which then becomes a marine vessel. Typically, these amphibious vehicles are open air vehicles so that a passenger can get sufficient views of the attractions in the area. In order to have the life vests at a readily accessible position, oftentimes they are hung at a location above the passenger seats on a canopy frame that covers the passenger area. As is apparent, the location of life vests in the canopy area of an amphibious vehicle can hinder the passenger's sightseeing ability.
A further problem in commercial and recreational boats and amphibious vehicles is that in situations where life jackets are necessary, oftentimes the stability of the vessel has been compromised. Traditionally, passengers have had to leave their seats and go to the area where the lifejackets are stowed. The act of locating and putting on the life jackets creates limited access in aisleways and the weight shift produced by the movement of the passengers adds to the instability of the vessel.
Therefore, a passenger seat/life vest arrangement is needed which overcomes the problems of the prior art life vest storing arrangements.